Chatha panel to submit report soonSeparate SGPC for Haryana
Chandigarh, June 27
The Haryana Transport Minister, Mr Randeep Singh Surjewala, said here today that the Congress was in favour of constituting a separate Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee in the state and the issue was not linked with the Punjab Assembly elections.

Licence of 10 liquor contractors suspended
Chandigarh, June 27
The Haryana Excise Department has swung into action against defaulting liquor contractors following reports that certain big contractors have been trying to buy out small contractors by selling liquor below the minimum prescribed price fixed by the department.

Pay for power, Bijli Nigam tells consumers
Sirsa/Hisar, June 27
The Haryana villages paying 100 per cent electricity bills will now get power facilities like ones provided in metropolitan cities. In case a cluster of villages supplied power by a common feeder achieve 100 per cent bill payment, these will get round-the- clock power supply.

Rainwater floods
Rohtak town
Rohtak, June 27
The worst fears of the residents came true today when a heavy rain that lashed the area this morning inundated most of the town.

Shekhawat for facilities at Devi Lal varsity
Sirsa, June 27
Expressing serious concern over the lack of basic facilities at Chaudhary Devi Lal University (CDLU) here, the Vice-President of India, Mr Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, has directed the Haryana Governor and CDLU Chancellor, Dr A.R. Kidwai, to take prompt action in this regard.

Eight vet graduates bag fellowship
Hisar, June 27
Eight veterinary graduates of Haryana Agricultural University have bagged the Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).

Chandigarh, June 27
The Haryana Transport Minister, Mr Randeep Singh Surjewala, said here today that the Congress was in favour of constituting a separate Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee in the state and the issue was not linked with the Punjab Assembly elections.

Mr Surjewala was talking to newsmen at a “Meet the Press” programme organised by the Chandigarh Press Club here today. He said the committee set up by the state government under the chairmanship of the Agriculture Minister, Mr H.S. Chatha, to study the demand for a separate SGPC for Haryana would submit its report soon.

When asked about the recently reconstituted Haryana Congress Committee in which the camp led by the party President, Mr Bhajan Lal, had been ignored, Mr Surjewala said the list of office-bearers had many new faces and added: “New people should be given a chance and India being a country of the young, the young have been given an opportunity to serve”.

He said as of today there was no plan to increase bus fares in view of the recent increase in the prices of diesel and petrol. He said efforts were also being made to improve the efficiency of bus drivers and conductors for which a new orientation course would be started. Also, more drivers and conductors would be appointed and yoga would also be introduced to relieve them from stress.

In reply to a question on introduction of high security number plates for vehicles, he said the process had been started afresh.

While appreciating the decision of the Punjab Government to give some concessions to the people, he said the Haryana Government led by Mr. Bhupinder Singh Hooda had already given a number of concessions and incentives to all sections of society which included waiving off arrears of electricity bills amounting to Rs. 1600 crore, fixation of floor rates for acquiring land and reducing the rate of interest for farmers.

Mr Surjewala said the Hayrana government had urged the International Airport Authority of India to provide a place to the Haryana Transport Department to park its bus for sometime outside the Indira Gandhi International Airport , New Delhi, so that apart from dropping the passenger, it could also provide them the return journey facility. He pointed out that the new state roadways bus going up to the international airport did not bring back the passengers.

When asked about the enquiry being conducted against the former Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakasch Chautala, by the CBI, Mr Surjewala said it was after much consideration that the Union Government was urged to get the issue investigated. He said that he was certain that Mr Chautala would not escape.

Mr Surjewala said the Haryana Roadways would start a CNG bus service in the National Capital Region from the first week of July. The CNG buses would ply from Faridabad to Gurgaon and cover many towns in the NCR area. Also on the anvil was an air conditioned CNG bus service from Gurgaon in the NCR area. To start with, the government had purchased five buses each from LeyLand, Tata and JPCL companies.

The plans were approved by a state-level committee headed by the Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda.

A spokesman of the department said that most of the towns had been planned with the peripheral road of 75 to 100 metres width keeping in view the increase in traffic. Major town roads would also be of 60 metres width. In case of Gurgaon, the peripheral road would be 150 metres wide.

He said special care had been taken to provide wide vistas within the town with shopping and institutional uses on each side. He said Yamunanagar-Jagadhri had tremendous tourism potential with three canals passing through the area. He said that sufficient space had been provided to improve the tourism potential.

He said Mr Hooda emphasised upon planning the towns in such a manner that various problems being faced by the general public could be sorted out. He said Rohtak town had been well planned to provide for a new educational hub on the lines of one being planned at Kundli. Besides this, industrialisation was also coming up in a big way in the town. He added that Industrial Model Township (IMT) was being planned on about 8000 acres at Rohtak. He stated that a similar IMT was being planned at Yamunanagar-Jagadhri.

Chandigarh, June 27
The Haryana Excise Department has swung into action against defaulting liquor contractors following reports that certain big contractors have been trying to buy out small contractors by selling liquor below the minimum prescribed price fixed by the department.

The defaulting contractors include both of country liquor(L-14A) and Indian made foreign liquor (L-2).

The Collector, Mr S.K. Sharma, today suspended the licences of 10 liquor contractors in Ambala district, for
allegedly selling liquor below the minimum price in order to under cut other contractors.

The Excise and Taxation Commissioner, Mr H.S. Rana, told TNS that earlier the department had imposed hefty fines of Rs 15,000 each on such contractors in Panchkula district. He said the department had already challaned about 70 dafaulting contractors in the entire state. Instructions had been issued to the field staff to expedite further action against those who had been challaned.

Mr Rana said if complaints were received against these contractors again, the suspension period could be increased. The department had the power to even cancel the licences, he added.

The department has convened a meeting of the Deputy Excise and Taxation Commissioners posted in districts as well as other field staff to keep a strict vigil on unscrupulous contractors, who might to try to defeat the purposes of the government’s new excise policy — to break the monopoly and to encourage small contractors in the market.

Sirsa/Hisar, June 27
The Haryana villages paying 100 per cent electricity bills will now get power facilities like ones provided in metropolitan cities. In case a cluster of villages supplied power by a common feeder achieve 100 per cent bill payment, these will get round-the- clock power supply.

The scheme has been launched by the Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (BHBVN) to encourage timely payment of bills by villagers.

Addressing a training camp of sarpanches organised by the Haryana Rural Development Institute, Nilokheri, Deputy Commissioner Vimal Chandra said here today old electricity wires and transformers would replaced in the villages which had cleared all power bills.

Officials sources in the DHBVN maintained that world-class power distribution network would be provided to such villages, besides ensuring a regular and uninterrupted power supply at proper voltage.

Sources said necessary steps in this regard would be taken with the provision of infrastructure required for the purpose.

The Deputy Commissioner said in another scheme, the panchayats of the villages in which all residents were using in-house toilets would be provided cash incentive of Rs 5.5 lakh by the government.

He disclosed three such villages had been identified in Sirsa district which included Jogewala, Tejakhera and Rajpura in the Dabwali block. A survey by the district administration revealed that all residents of these three villages used toilets constructed in their homes.

Mr Chandra stated a special grant for development would be provided to the villages which had adopted the Total Sanitation Campaign and paid 100 per cent electricity bills. The district administration had prepared a plan on the basis of survey, he added.

Rohtak, June 27
The worst fears of the residents came true today when a heavy rain that lashed the area this morning inundated most of the town.

Although flooding of the low-lying colonies is an annual feature, the problem today was compounded by the unfinished drainage projects under way here for the past about a year.

The entire town had been dug up to lay pipelines to prevent flooding, but the work could not be completed on time.

People were stranded in their homes in the Jhajjar Road, Railway Road, Model Town, Medical Morh, Gohana Adda, Chhotu Ram Chowk, Police Lines and Old Bus Stand areas. Hundreds of vehicles were trapped in flood waters all over the town.

It took several hours to pump out the water from these areas after which life returned to normal. However, dozens of vehicles were damaged as these were submerged in the flood water.

Former minister and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Krishan Murti Hooda blamed the tardy pace of work on the drainage projects as the main reason for the flooding of the low-lying areas. In a statement, he said the projects were initiated all over the town, whereas this should have been done in phases.

Sirsa, June 27
Expressing serious concern over the lack of basic facilities at Chaudhary Devi Lal University (CDLU) here, the Vice-President of India, Mr Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, has directed the Haryana Governor and CDLU Chancellor, Dr A.R. Kidwai, to take prompt action in this regard.

Mr Shekhawat called up Dr Kidwai and asked him to take the necessary steps regarding the provision of facilities and filling of vacant posts in the university after a delegation of the Shiksha Bachao Abhiyan from Sirsa met him in New Delhi late last evening and intimated him of the step-motherly treatment with the university.

The Shiksha Bachao Abhiyan, which comprises a number of prominent residents of Sirsa, apprised the Vice-President of the critical situation of the university and urged him to intervene in the matter.

The delegation members told Mr Shekhawat that of the 302 posts sanctioned for the university, only 35 had been filled on a regular basis so far. Moreover, the vital posts of Vice-Chancellor, Registrar and Controller of Examinations are awaiting regular appointments for a long time.

The Vice-President was also told about the discriminatory attitude of the state government towards the university in the allocation of funds. Besides, the delegation members pointed out that the colleges earlier affiliated to the university were disaffiliated from it. They said due to the prevailing situation, the future of the students studying at the university was at stake.

Ambala, June 27
Ten passengers were caught travelling on MP quota at the Ambala Cantt railway station early this morning.

They were travelling on Jhelum Express from Jammu to New Delhi. A team headed by Senior Divisional Commercial Manager M.S. Chahalia along with Vigilance personnel found them travelling in the AC coach.

Mr Chahalia said: “We have fined them. The fine amount is Rs 8,935. They were using the MP quota of MPs D. Singh, R. Sakhya and D. Yadav,” he said.

An MP from UP, Mr S.P. Baghel, was travelling in the coach. “The persons who were fined were travelling along with Mr Baghel. They were to go to Agra from Delhi,” he said.

A railway official said the raid was carried out following a tip-off about the alleged misuse of the MP quota.

An MP from Etawah in Uttar Pradesh, Mr Raghu Raj Singh Shakya, when contacted, said he had just learnt about the incident. “I demand that stern action must be taken against the persons who were misusing the MP quota. Only strong deterrent action will ensure that such incidents do not take place in the future,” he said.

An MP from Saidpur (UP), Mr Tufani Saroj, whose quota has also been misused, said he learnt about the incident from the media. “I do not know how this took place. The truth must come out. We must know who bought the tickets in my name. The authorities concerned must ensure that the name of an MP is not misused,” he said.

Former MP from Ambala Ratan Lal Kataria said a high-level inquiry must be conducted. “MP quota is a facility given to Members of Parliament. Any unauthorised persons availing the qouta is a loss to the exchequer,” he said.